This single-family home is a gorgeous verdant garden sanctuary&nbsp;in the heart of Tokyo. The building, designed by <a href="http://www.ryuenishizawa.com/" target="_blank">Ryue Nishiziwa</a>, sits on a narrow lot and has an open floor plan with virtually no interior walls. A winding staircase curves through every floor, supporting the vines and lush plant life as they grow upwards through to the roof. Daylight floods the interior,&nbsp;<a href="http://inhabitat.com/window-farms-lets-green-thumbs-grow-fresh-veggies-indoors/" target="_blank">nourishing perennial shoots</a> and shrubs, and providing natural light to enhance zen-like contemplation and encourage peaceful respite.

A painted steel staircase winds continuously through the concrete floors.

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Ryue Nishizawa vertical garden house tokyo japan

Ascending the painted steel staircase leads from the living room and kitchen on the ground floor to a first-floor bedroom, second-floor bedroom and bathroom, and up to the roof-terrace with its extra room for guests or storage (probably a good place for all the gardening tools).

The home is minimally furnished, but bursts with plants of every genus and species. Wedged between two tall buildings and exploding with greenery, it would be easy to mistake this beautiful single-family home for a mysterious <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tranquil-yoyogi-village-in-tokyo-features-a-verdant-interior-vertical-garden/" target="_blank">vertical garden</a>.

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Ryue Nishizawa vertical garden house tokyo japan

The building contrasts with Tokyo's booming metropolis and stands as a reminder that <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tianjin-eco-city-is-a-futuristic-green-landscape-for-350000-residents/" target="_blank">urban density</a> doesn't mean sacrificing clean, breathable air, and open space.

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Ryue Nishizawa vertical garden house tokyo japan

This single-family home is a gorgeous verdant garden sanctuary in the heart of Tokyo. The building, designed by Ryue Nishiziwa, sits on a narrow lot and has an open floor plan with virtually no interior walls. A winding staircase curves through every floor, supporting the vines and lush plant life as they grow upwards through to the roof. Daylight floods the interior, nourishing perennial shoots and shrubs, and providing natural light to enhance zen-like contemplation and encourage peaceful respite.